Senator gets unproven COVID-19 drug prescribed as ‘experiment’
State Sen. Kathleen Bernier says she is not a fan of masks, which have been shown to reduce the spread of COVID-19 .
But the Chippewa Falls Republican is sold on hydroxychloroquine, which has not.
So, concerned that Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ administration had banned the distribution of the controversial drug in Wisconsin, Bernier said she recently went to her doctor and asked for a prescription for the medicine as a “preventative” for coronavirus.
This is how she described the doctor’s visit in a Facebook post to her 200plus friends.
“A doctor friend of mine and I tried an experiment yesterday to see if I could get a prescription for hydroxychloroquine,” Bernier wrote. “I did get the prescription filled, however, the price of it was pretty outrageous. $40 for 10 pills.”
Interesting experiment. Nice of the doctor to play along.
Bernier said she went to Facebook to announce her findings because people need to know that they can follow her lead.
“My point was if they go to their doctor and request hydroxychloroquine as a preventative or medical option, it is available,” Bernier said in a Monday interview.
Or at least it is with one doctor in the Chippewa Falls area, whom Bernier wouldn’t name.
She said she hopes state regulators don’t come after her doctor and his or her medical license for prescribing the pills.
“They better not,” Bernier said. “It is certainly not illegal.”
State Democratic Party officials were not impressed with Bernier’s advocacy of hydroxychloroquine, which has been approved for use by federal regulators for malaria, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.
The drug has not, however, been given the OK to treat COVID-19. The Associated Press reported that numerous rigorous tests “concluded that the antimalaria drug was ineffective for treating hospitalized coronavirus patients.”
“Kathleen Bernier should leave medical advice to the experts — which she is not,” said Democratic Party spokeswoman Courtney Beyer.
“The science and data tells us that one of the best things we can do to slow the spread of coronavirus is wear a mask. We would encourage Sen. Bernier to do that instead of prescribing herself an unsafe and unproven treatment.”
Bernier said her interest in the drug dates back a few months.
She asked an official with the state Department of Health Services about using hydroxychloroquine as a preventative for COVID-19 and got what she considered an inadequate response. Then she heard that people in Michigan were having trouble getting the drug.
So she tested to see if it was available here for its off-label use.
The freshman senator, who previously served four terms in the Assembly, said she is borderline high-risk for contracting the disease. She is 64.
“I don’t think my health care is any of your business,” she said.
Except she already made her health care public by posting about it on Facebook, a point she quickly conceded.
As for the hydroxychloroquine, she said she has not begun taking the medicine. Instead, she said she is going to wait until she experiences any of the symptoms associated with the disease. Then she will call her doctor and get the OK to begin taking the pills.
Bernier said she had heard that the medicine was effective in treating disease, especially if taken early on. She conceded that some people disagree with her on this, but she dismissed their concerns.
“It’s hard to tell what is fact and fiction with COVID-19,” she said, especially given what she said were all the disagreements among doctors and medical experts. She then added, “There are many doctors who firmly believe this works.”
Bernier seems to have few doubts about hydroxychloroquine, which President Donald Trump has touted.
But what about masks? Gov. Tony Evers recently issued an order requiring all Wisconsin residents to wear face masks while indoors until the end of September.
Bernier offered nothing but criticisms of masks.
She said she is “not a big mask proponent,” especially for those with asthma. She said they are “not necessarily healthy” and are “not good for everybody.”
“It’s a personal choice,” Bernier said about preventative measures.
And her pick is hydroxychloroquine, even if it’s a bit pricey.